Derby,
New York businessman Dan Buczek 55, and 7 family members and friends
were enjoying an evening out like thousands of other Buffalo, New York
area hockey fans on Dec. 26, 2005—cheering their favorite Buffalo
Sabres on to victory over the New York Islanders. During
the course of the evening, Buczek's daughter Amanda and her boyfriend,
Joel Lattuca went to the HSBC refreshment stand to buy a beer and a
hotdog. And that's where the Buczek family trouble began that evening.
Amanda Buczek asked the refreshment stand vendor if he accepted Liberties—as
the Buczeks quite often do when frequenting a new retail spot since,
in the southtowns area, close to 30 businesses now accepted Liberties.
They do so for only
one reason. They believe Liberties are actually worth more than the
US currency that is, by law, legal tender in America since the American
dollar has not been backed by gold or silver since 1971.

And,
since most of the people who use Liberties don't know whether or not
a business accepts the privately-minted silver coins or certificates
as barter currency unless or until they ask-they generally inquire.
If the business says they don't, they do what you and I do—they pay
for the products or services they are buying with greenbacks (the Federal
Reserve banknotes that were created by the Roosevelt Administration
on June 5, 1933 when newly elected Franklin D. Roosevelt unconstitutionally
removed US currency from the gold standard with the Gold Repeal Joint
Resolution that illegally canceled the gold clause in all federal
and private debt obligations}.

Our
monetary system would not officially be divorced from the gold standard
until 1971 when President Richard Nixon signed the 'divorce decree'
(that was artfully buried in the Bretton-Woods Agreement). Gold
and silver were no longer specie. They simply became a commodity. In
doing so, Nixon and the Democrats that controlled Congress violated
the Constitution since the only way our monetary system could legally
be divorced from gold and silver was through a constitutional amendment
(according to Article 1, Section 10).

For
that matter, the Federal Reserve Act, signed into law on Dec.
23, 1913, was also unconstitutional since the Founding Fathers very
carefully and very deliberately penned into the Constitution of the
United States a provision—Article 1. Section 8—that prevented the nation's
politicians from surrendering the power to "coin" money to private individuals.
(It is important to understand that in 1787, all money was coin. While
copper and bronze were used in some coins, the primary coinage was gold
or silver. Paper money, used only in national emergencies, was called
scrip. Scrip was redeemable in gold or silver at the end of whatever
crisis allowed it to be printed. When the monetary powers were surrendered
to the private bankers at the Fed, they argued that "coining" money
and "printing" money were two entirely different facets of creating
money, and that only the coining of money was reserved for the government.
In point of fact, when the Constitution was ratified, all money was
coin.

Today,
the US Mint coins the pocket change we carry, and private bankers print
the trillions of dollars that is circulated as legal tender.) The victims
of this theft were—and are—the American people.

Most
Americans are unaware that when America's bankers and industrialists
deliberately caused the Bank Panic of 1908 in order to "prepare" America
for the legislation that would create a privately—owned central bank
called the Federal Reserve System, the 16th Amendment to legalize
an income tax and the 17th Amendment to eliminate the States from the
equation of power, the bankers also attempted to ratify as the 18th
Amendment a resolution remove the nation's monetary system from
the gold standard. But not even those who favored silencing the voice
of the States in the governing process, or creating the right to impose
an income tax on its people were willing to debase its monetary system.
Congress could not muster the votes needed to send the proposed 18th
Amendment to the States for ratification.

The
Buczeks, like a growing number of anti—fiat Americans across the nation
have discovered—and now use-an alternative form of "money" called "Liberties."
Liberties are silver coins or silver certificates that, unlike
the contemporary American dollar produced by the Federal Reserve
System that is legal tender, are actually backed by silver—and have
an actual net worth equal to its face value. Because thousands of Americans
are now using them, and because an increasing number of businesses throughout
the United States are accepting them, the Buczeks generally ask the
merchants wherever they shop if they take Liberties when they purchase
goods and services. And, that was what led Amanda Buczek to asked the
food vendor at the Sabres hockey game if they accepted Liberties.

Because
the vendor did not accept "Liberties," Amanda Buczek paid for
the beer and hot dogs with a Federal Reserve Note. As Joel Lattuca carried
the beverages his girlfriend had just purchased back to her family,
neither realized they were being followed by off—duty Buffalo Police
Detective Edward Cotter. When Cotter began to interrogate Amanda and
Joel about what he thought might be counterfeit coins, Dan Buczek interjected
himself into the discussion by asking Cotter who he was and what he
wanted with his daughter. Cotter replied that he was head of security
for the HSBC stadium, and he wanted to see the coin she was trying to
use with the concession people. At that moment, Shane Buczek, Dan Buczek's
eldest son joined the group and asked what was wrong.

Cotter
demanded to know who he was. As Dan Buczek produced his driver's license,
Shane produced an Apostille badge. (An apostille badge is commonly
used by notary publics. It is not a badge in the sense that police officers
carry tin or bronze shields. It's simply an official ID card encased
in a hard see—through plastic holder. Many times today it is
used by people whose driver's license has been suspended. Shane Buczek
would later be accused by Cotter as posing as a federal agent and using
his Apostille ID badge as his government ID card. According to those
close to the Buczek case, Shane's apostille ID was issued by his church
are were his ministerial credentials.)

When
he saw Shane's "badge," Cotter 'trumped" him by producing his own Buffalo
detective's shield, "I'm a Buffalo detective," Cotter said, "I'm
off duty—and, I'm the head of security here." He told the
Buczeks to "come with me." The Buczeks followed Cotter to an exit hallway
near Section 316 where Cotter then ignored Amanda Buczek and Joel Lattuca—who
had already given him one of the Liberty coins—and concentrated
his wrath on Shane. "Where did you get this f*****g coin?" Cotter
demanded, then looking at Shane, insisted on knowing if he was "...the
same f***n' Shane Buczek that knows Billy Crawford"—another Buffalo
police officer.

Years
before Shane Buczek chummed around with several Buffalo police officers,
Billy Crawford being one of them. Buczek insisted at that time that
he was asked by Crawford to help the police in a sting operation. But,
when the sting was over, Shane Buczek found himself in the county lockup.
Buczek insisted the cops had tricked him into letting them use his credit
card, and it was their signatures, not his, on the transactions they
bought—and kept. Whatever the true details of that incident are, Shane
Buczek served county time; and bad blood existed between Buczek and
the Buffalo Police Department—except, it seems, with Billy Crawford.

"I've
been looking all over this f*****g stadium for you all night," Cotter
told Shane, adding that he'd received reports from several vendors at
the stadium
that people were trying to buy beer with counterfeit coins—claiming
the coins were worth $100 each. Cotter called the Buffalo police department
for back—up to take the Buczeks into custody. Cotter accused Dan and
Shane Buczek of trying to sell what he described as phony coins. (And,
of course, Cotter—who didn't know Shane Buczek was at the hockey rink
until he identified himself shortly after 8 p.m.—wanted Shane to believe
that Cotter knew the coin "scam" was his, and that he'd been looking
for him all evening.)

Buczek
explained that his daughter Amanda had tried to use the coins to pay
for beer, as did two of his sons-Adam and Caleb. At no time, he said,
did anyone try to sell anything to anyone—particularly since the value
of the coins are imprinted on the reverse side of the Liberty.. IN addition,
Buczek explained to Cotter, the coins were not counterfeit money. They
were privately—minted Liberties that many storekeepers in that area
accepted as money. Many Southtown businesses accept Liberties as cash.
Daniel Hyman, owner of the Red Apple Convenience Store said that "...about
20 of my regular customers use them. They pay me with silver and they
accept silver as change. With inflation and government deficits, I see
more and more people who don't trust paper money anymore. Eventually,
I hope the banks will accept Liberties for deposit." Shawn Clawges,
owner of Openers' Grille in East Aurora admitted they also take the
Liberties "...at par with dollars. They're a pretty coin, and they're
backed with silver. It's a commodity that's going up in value-unlike
the US dollar."

All
his children were doing, Buczek concluded, was trying to see if any
of the beer vendors at the stadium accepted Liberties. Cotter continued
to curse at Buczek as he cuffed him, saying, "You South Buffalo guys
think you're tough-but you f*****g' G**d d*mn Timon boys ain't that
tough now, are you?" Cotter pulled the cuffs, jerking Buczek off balance.
"I should tear your hair piece off your head!"

Cotter
searched Dan Buczek and emptied his pockets, taking his comb, cell phone,
his Sabres ticket—which Buczek wanted to save as a souvenir—his billfold
plus several $20 Silver Liberties. Amanda, Adam and Caleb Buczek and
Joel Lattuca—all of whom attempted to pay for beer or hotdogs with the
silver liberties-were not detained. Only Shane Buczek and his father
were arrested. They were charged with felony possession of forged instruments
(the silver liberties). Shane Buczek was also charged with criminal
impersonation when Cotter claimed the younger Buczek represented himself
as a federal official with his Apostille ID card. When Buczek received
his belongings back upon his release, he was so glad to get out of the
hellhole jail, he scribbled his signature on the release form, grabbed
his belongs and left. When he got home he would discover that there
was $100 missing from his wallet, and all of the $20 coins—which Cotter
decided were contraband—were gone as well.

While
he was in custody, Cotter accused Dan Buczek of stealing his Sabres
ticket. Buczek was able to prove that his cousin had purchased the ticket.
The Buczeks were detained at the HSBC stadium by Cotter and Buffalo
police officers Jill Halor and George Wagner from 8:05 p.m. until 9:45
p.m. At that time, Dan and Shane Buczek were finally escorted from the
stadium in handcuffs. They sat in a police cruiser for approximately
35 minutes. They were read their Miranda rights at 10:15 p.m. in front
of the Buffalo Police Station after being grilled and threatened by
Buffalo police officers for 2 hours and 5 minutes. It should be noted
that at the time of their detention, and later arrest on felony charges,
none of the Buczeks had done anything that should have merited scrutiny
from the police—let alone the abusive treatment they received at the
hands of "Buffalo's finest." Detective Edward Cotter's interest in the
Buczeks was purely personal. He used his badge and his authority as
a police officer to harass someone he disliked. Hopefully Internal Affairs
will investigate Edward Cotter and pull his badge. This man should not
be a police officer.

When
the story hit the Buffalo News the following day, Erie County
Prosecuting Attorney Frank J. Clark said the felony charges—which should
never have been filed—would be reduced before the case went to trial.
The case was scheduled to go to trial on Thursday, Jan. 26. Instead,
in a hearing before the city court, the charges were reduced to misdemeanors,
and the trial scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006.

As
Cotter tried to push the case, he called the Buffalo office of the Secret
Service and asked the agents to investigate the counterfeiters they
had locked up. Michael C. Bryant, special-agent-in-charge sent one of
his agents to investigate. Cotter was disappointed to learn that no
counterfeiting had taken place. Bryant told the media that "...we
did send an agent to question [the Buczeks], but we determined this
was not a counterfeiting case. Counterfeiting is when someone illegally
makes a copy of actual US currency.."

"Liberties
are not made by the government," said Michael J. White, a Treasury spokesman
noted. "No business is required to accept Liberties," adding that while
businesses are not required to accept Liberties as payment for goods
and services, there are no laws preventing them from doing so if they
want. Liberties, like any other numismatic you own, are assets that
must be included in your net worth for tax purposes.

The
Buczeks were placed in nine different holding cells over the 16 hours
they were detained as Cotter used every trick he knew to find some way
to make a charge stick that would-as he told told Dan Buczek—"send
you son up the river for a long time." Cotter even offered to set
Dan Buczek free if he would testify against his son. Testify to what?
The Buczeks were required by Erie County Judge Joseph A. Fiorella to
post bail of $2,500 each—a total of $5,000—to get out of jail. Fiorella
thought the bail was reasonable due to the seriousness of the crime.
Deborah Buczek, the wife of Dan Buczek, posted the bail for her husband
and son at 12:22 p.m. Cotter held up the release of Dan and Shane Buczek
until sheriff's deputies pushed him to turn in the paperwork. At 2:35
a.m.—after enduring 6 hours and 30 minutes of Hell, two innocent men
walked out of the Erie County Sheriff's Department lockup. As far as
I can determine, there was only one guilty person in this sorry affair.
And, he still wears a detective shield for the Buffalo Police Department.
His name is Ed Cotter.

According
to Bernard von NotHaus, the CEO of Liberty, more and more businesses
in "pocket communities" across the country are beginning to accept
the privately-minted, shiny Liberties as an alternate form of barter
even though the coins are not legal tender and cannot be regarded as
money. Quite naturally, the US Treasury does not approve their being
in circulation and does everything it can to discourage people from
using them. However, since the Liberties are not represented
as US coinage, they are recognized as "collectibles" with a par value
that the US government grudgingly tolerates.

Jon Christian Ryter is the pseudonym of a former
newspaper reporter with the Parkersburg, WV Sentinel. He authored a
syndicated newspaper column, Answers From The Bible, from the mid-1970s
until 1985. Answers From The Bible was read weekly in many suburban
markets in the United States.

Today, Jon is an advertising
executive with the Washington Times. His website, www.jonchristianryter.com
has helped him establish a network of mid-to senior-level Washington
insiders who now provide him with a steady stream of material for use
both in his books and in the investigative reports that are found on
his website.

The
Buczeks were placed in nine different holding cells over the 16 hours
they were detained as Cotter used every trick he knew to find some way
to make a charge stick that would-as he told told Dan Buczek-"send you
son up the river for a long time."